Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle dominates the domestic box office in its second week, while Jordan Peele’s sports horror HIM debuts at second place. After a record-shattering opening day, the anime movie surpᴀssed Pokemon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back as the highest-grossing anime movie in North America.

Having made $4.56 million on Friday, the highly rated Demon Slayer is projected to make another $16.3 million during the second weekend. While this would mean a 77% drop from last week, the movie is expected to hit the $100 million benchmark at the domestic box office this weekend.

Meanwhile, after a $6.47 million opening day, HIM is expected to make around $15 million during its opening weekend. The figure is slightly lower than the initial projection of $18 million, but this would put the sports horror right behind Infinity Castle.

Him is followed by Sony’s R-rated original fantasy, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which made $1.4 million on its opening day (including preview screenings). The movie is expected to debut at around $8 million at the domestic box office.

The Long Walk came in fourth place. Following last weekend’s modest opening, the movie is projected to make another $6.3 million on the second weekend after adding $1.8 million on Friday. This would mean a 46% drop from last week. Based on the beloved TV show, Downtown Abbey: The Grand Finale is right behind the Stephen King adaptation, projecting to make $6 million with a 66% drop on the second weekend.

What This Means For Demon Slayer, HIM, And The Long Walk

Demon Slayer crossed the $400 million worldwide box office milestone earlier this week. Having already totaled $478 million globally, the movie is expected to reach the $500 million milestone in barely two weeks in theaters. Anime movies tend to be front-loaded, with the initial ticket sales driven by an established fanbase. The 77% drop in the second week is nothing out of the ordinary.

There’s a slight chance for the Jordan Peele-produced sports horror HIM to overtake Demon Slayer at No.1 at the domestic box office this weekend. Having been produced on a budget of $27 million, $15 million is a modest debut for the movie. Compared to the producer’s 2022 horror flick, Nope, which opened to $44 million domestically and was made against a $69 million budget, the figure is on the lower scale.

With horror movies usually experiencing a decline in box office of around 60% or more, The Long Walk‘s 46% drop stands out. Despite a modest box office opening last week, it seems that the Stephen King adaptation with a near-perfect RT score is playing the long game.

Our Take On Demon Slayer’s Box Office Dominance And HIM’s Opening

Since its release, Demon Slayer has broken several records in both North America and the international market, suggesting a rising global demand for anime in the film space. Crossing the $100 million at the domestic box office is significant because it could potentially shift Hollywood’s approach to acquisition and content adaptation.

Even though HIM is looking at No.2 this week, there’s a high chance that the movie might not be able to keep its spot in the coming week. The Justin Tipping-directed movie about a young football player’s training on an isolated compound was widely panned, having received a 27% critic score and a 58% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.